Little work to date has assessed how dairy cattle respond when first introduced to freestall housing. In this study we carried out 2 experiments. The aim of experiment 1 was to assess the behavioral responses of naïve heifers to pens fitted with freestalls. Holstein heifers (n=7 groups, each containing 3 heifers, 3 mo of age), with no previous experience with freestalls, were initially housed on a sawdust bedded pack and fed through a fixed feed barrier for at least 6 wk and then moved to a freestall pen fitted with a head-locking feed barrier. When kept on the bedded pack, the heifers' lying time averaged 14.2 h/d. On the day heifers were moved to the freestall pen, lying times declined by 2.9 h, but recovered on the following days. The time spent lying down on the barn floor (i.e., outside the lying area) increased by 2.5 h on the day heifers were introduced to freestalls and remained higher during subsequent days. Heifers spent 46 min/d less time feeding on the day they were switched to the head-locking barrier, but recovered on the following days. In experiment 2 we assessed the behavioral responses of naïve heifers introduced to pens fitted with freestalls with or without a neck rail. Holstein heifers (n=12 groups, each containing 2 heifers, 3 mo of age), with no previous experience with freestalls, were initially housed on a sawdust bedded pack and then moved to a freestall pen with or without neck rails. Heifers spent 4.2 h/d less time lying down in the 24 h following introduction into the freestall pen; the neck rail treatment had no effect on lying time but heifers spent more time standing with just their front 2 hooves in the stall when a neck rail was in the stall. In summary, lying and feeding behavior of naïve heifers is altered following introduction to new housing.

RESUMO -Dois ensaios foram realizados para avaliação do uso de farelo de gérmen de milho desengordurado (FGMD) na alimentação de frangos de corte. No primeiro ensaio, para determinação do valor nutricional pelo método de coleta total de excretas, foram utilizados 120 pintos de corte com 19 dias de idade, distribuídos em delineamento inteiramente casualizado, com três tratamentos e quatro repetições de dez aves por unidade experimental. As dietas experimentais, à base de milho e farelo de soja, variaram de acordo com os níveis de FGMD (0, 20 e 40%). Os valores médios dos coeficientes de metabolização de MS, FB, PB, EE e energia metabolizável aparente corrigida pelo balanço de nitrogênio (EMA n ) foram, com base na matéria natural (MN), 60,99; 16,73; 53,80 Feeding increasing defatted corn germ meal levels to broiler chickens ABSTRACT -Two trials were carried out to evaluate the effects of feeding of increasing defatted corn germ meal (DCGM) levels to broilers. In the first trial, for determination of nutritional value by method of total excreta collection, 120 19-day old broilers were allotted to a completely randomized design with three treatments and four replications of 10 birds each. The treatments consisted of corn and soybean meal-based diets with increasing DCGM levels: 0, 20, and 40%. Mean values of coefficients of metabolization of DM, CF, CP, EE, and metabolizable energy adjusted for nitrogen balance were (as-fed basis): 60.99%, 16.73%, 53.80%, 82.71%, and 2413 kcal/kg, respectively. In the performance trial, 480 4-day old chicks were assigned to a completely randomized design with five treatments and eight replications (four of each sex) of 12 birds. The treatments consisted of corn and soybean meal-based diets with increasing DCGM levels: 0, 5, 10, 15, and 20%. Linear increasing effect of DCGM on weight gain and feed intake and decreasing linear effect on feed:gain ratio were observed. Feeding DCGM is viable up to 20% level to broiler performance with no changes on carcass traits.Key Words: food, metabolizable energy, nutrition, performance, broiler IntroduçãoNa avicultura, são freqüentes os períodos de instabilidade financeira advindos dos altos preços dos ingredientes que compõem as rações. A alimentação dos frangos de corte sustenta-se basicamente da utilização do milho e do farelo de soja e qualquer variação nos seus preços de mercado reflete diretamente nos resultados econômicos da atividade.Segundo Butolo et al. (1998), há um interesse crescente por alimentos alternativos para aves.Entre as alternativas alimentares pesquisadas para frangos, estão os resíduos e os co-produtos das agroindústrias, como o gérmen de milho desengordurado, por exemplo. Segundo Rostagno (2003), o farelo de gérmen de milho (com ou sem óleo) tem sido pesquisado como sucedâneo do milho nas rações de monogástricos.

Objetivou-se com este experimento avaliar a cinética de fermentação ruminal de diferentes co-produtos gerados na cadeia produtiva do biodiesel, mediante o uso da técnica de semi-automática de produção de gases in vitro, usando um delineamento inteiramente casualizado, com cinco tratamentos e quatro repetições por tratamento. Os tratamentos foram: farelo de crambe; farelo de algodão; torta de crambe; torta de soja e torta de girassol. A torta de soja apresentou maior taxa de degradação de carboidratos não fibrosos (CNF), quando comparada aos demais alimentos, resultando em maior volume final de gases. O farelo de algodão e o farelo de crambe apresentaram taxa de degradação de CNF e produção de gases similares. Apesar da torta de crambe não diferir do farelo de crambe quanto a produção de gás na degradação de CNF, houve diferença na taxa de degradação, sendo o maior valor verificado para a torta. O maior tempo de colonização (Lag time) foi requerido para a torta de soja e o menor para a torta de girassol. As maiores taxas de degradação de carboidratos fibrosos (CF) foram observadas na torta de soja e torta de crambe, e menor taxa na torta de girassol. A maior produção de gás oriunda da degradação de CF foi obtida para o farelo de crambe. A torta de soja e a torta de crambe foram os co-produtos com melhor perfil na cinética de fermentação ruminal no que diz respeito à degradação de carboidratos não fibrosos e carboidratos fibrosos.

Objetivou-se com este experimento avaliar a cinética de fermentação ruminal de diferentes co-produtos gerados na cadeia produtiva do biodiesel, mediante o uso da técnica de semi-automática de produção de gases in vitro, usando um delineamento inteiramente casualizado, com cinco tratamentos e quatro repetições por tratamento. Os tratamentos foram: farelo de crambe; farelo de algodão; torta de crambe; torta de soja e torta de girassol. A torta de soja apresentou maior taxa de degradação de carboidratos não fibrosos (CNF), quando comparada aos demais alimentos, resultando em maior volume final de gases. O farelo de algodão e o farelo de crambe apresentaram taxa de degradação de CNF e produção de gases similares. Apesar da torta de crambe não diferir do farelo de crambe quanto a produção de gás na degradação de CNF, houve diferença na taxa de degradação, sendo o maior valor verificado para a torta. O maior tempo de colonização (Lag time) foi requerido para a torta de soja e o menor para a torta de girassol. As maiores taxas de degradação de carboidratos fibrosos (CF) foram observadas na torta de soja e torta de crambe, e menor taxa na torta de girassol. A maior produção de gás oriunda da degradação de CF foi obtida para o farelo de crambe. A torta de soja e a torta de crambe foram os co-produtos com melhor perfil na cinética de fermentação ruminal no que diz respeito à degradação de carboidratos não fibrosos e carboidratos fibrosos. Palavras-chave: Alimentos alternativos, bicombustível, resíduo, taxa de degradação AbstractFermentation kinetics rates of co-products generated in the supply chain of biodiesel were evaluated by in vitro gas production technique. Crambe meal, cottonseed meal, crambe cake, soybean cake and sunflower cake were evaluated. The soybean cake had higher rates of degradation of non-fiber carbohydrates (NFC), compared to other foods, resulting in higher volume of gas. Cottonseed meal and crambe meal had degradation rates of NFC and gas production similar. Although the crambe cake did not differ from crambe meal on gas production in the degradation of NFC, there were differences in the rate of degradation, being the highest value found for the cake. The biggest lag time was required

The objective of this study was to evaluate carcass characteristics, non-carcass components and meat quality of Nellore cattle in feedlot and fed with different corn hybrids (flint, semi-flint and semi-dent) in the diet. Twenty-seven animals averaging 350 ± 24 kg of body weight and 24 months of age were used. The animals were distributed in a completely randomized design with three treatments (T), where, T1-diet with flint corn (TDFC), T2-diet with semi-flint corn (TDSFC) and T3-diet with semi-dent corn (TDSDC), with 9 replicates per treatment. The animals were fed ad libitum twice daily (at 8:00 am and 4:00pm) with isocaloric and isonitrogenous diet, with 30% of sugar cane bagasse and 70% concentrate (88% maize, 8% soybean meal, 3% mineral and vitamin supplement and 1% urea) for 95 days (14 days of adaptation and 3 experimental periods of 27 days each). The animals were weighed at the beginning of the experiment and after each period of 27 days, always in a fasting period of 16 hours. At the end of the experiment, the animals were slaughtered in commercial slaughterhouse, measuring non-carcass components (weight of blood, feet, hide, head, tail, organs, fat removed for cleaning), gastrointestinal tract (pharynx, esophagus, stomach and intestines) and carcass characteristics (hot carcass, cold carcass yield, carcass length, leg length, thigh thickness, perimeter of leg, arm length, arm thickness, arm perimeter, front weight, rear weight and conformation). Sample was collected from HH joint for evaluation of the percentage of bone, muscle and fat and subsequent use of the Longissimus dorsi muscle for evaluation of fat cover thickness, marbling, Longissimus muscle área (LMA), degree of finish, water loss, pH, beef color, fat color and proximate analysis of meat. There was no significant difference (P>0.05) between treatments for the evaluated parameters for carcass characteristics and non-carcass components. For the parameters of meat quality, there was significant difference (P<0.05) between treatments only in pH after 24 hours of slaughter. It is concluded that the use of different corn hybrids in the concentrated diet in feedlot cattle does not influence the carcass characteristics, noncarcass characteristics and meat quality.